There's something special about camping that you simply can't get from staying in a hotel room. Give yourself the chance to reconnect with nature and the people you're visiting with by living simply, away from all the commotion of everyday life. Whether you're here for a week or just a few days, you'll see why people come back to camp in the Smokies time and time again. To help you plan for your trip, here are 4 of the best RV resorts and campgrounds in the Smoky Mountains that you are sure to enjoy.

When you plan a winter vacation to the Smoky Mountains, deciding on a place to stay is one of the most important parts. Nothing beats waking up on a chilly winter morning and sipping a warm cup of coffee as you admire the view of snow-covered mountains in the distance. Cabins provide the perfect home away from home for you in the Smokies. Here are the top 4 reasons to stay in a Smoky Mountain cabin for your winter vacation.

It's no secret that the Smoky Mountains are full of gorgeous sights to be seen. If you don't feel like hiking on foot, you can see some of the most beautiful scenes from the comfort of your vehicle! To help guarantee you have the best time while you're here, we've put together a list of 3 of the best scenic drives in the Smoky Mountains that you have to try.

The Smoky Mountains are full of exciting and popular things to do, but sometimes the things that lead to the most adventure are the more unique attractions. If you want to try something new and different next time you're in the area, check out our list of the 4 things to do in the Smoky Mountains off the beaten path:

Did you know there are more than 800 miles of maintained hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? What's more, they range from easy to rigorous, so there's something for every ability level. Many are located just minutes from the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge area. And all offer memorable sights, ranging from sparkling streams and waterfalls to majestic mountain vistas.

One of the most important parts about planning a Smoky Mountain vacation is finding somewhere to stay. There are so many incredible cabins available that provide the perfect place for any occasion. Whether you're visiting for a romantic getaway or a family vacation, there is a cabin for you! Here are 5 benefits of staying in a Smoky Mountain rental cabin:

Want to get away from the hustle-bustle yet still have easy access to fun-filled family attractions? Rent a cabin or chalet in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. Most rentals are conveniently located just minutes from Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg... yet all offer soul-soothing peace and privacy amid stunning mountain scenery. Even if you're staying within city limits, you'll feel as if you're in a whole other world.

The Smoky Mountains are a top destination for family vacations! That's because the area is overflowing with incredible, kid-friendly things to do. To help guarantee you have the best vacation with your children, we've come up with 5 of the best things to do in the Smoky Mountains for kids.

When you plan your family vacation to the Smoky Mountains, you look for exciting things to do together that will create long-lasting memories. There are so many amazing experiences you can share with each other that will make your vacation even more special. To help guarantee you have an incredible time, we've come up with 3 can't-miss Smoky Mountain attractions for your family vacation.

When you think of Smoky Mountain cabins, you might envision small, rustic homes with cozy fireplaces, sitting atop out-of-the-way mountain peaks. Yes, some are just like that. However, there's also a large variety of other rental options – from small secluded cabins to large luxury cabins, chalets, and lodges. Choosing the one you like best can be an exciting process.

Each year, thousands and thousands of visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains make overnight rental cabins their accommodations of choice. It's not hard to understand why. Cabins offer a lot of advantages for the traveler, including a wide range of sizes to accommodate small or large groups, economic efficiency, a home-like atmosphere, privacy and seclusion, and amenities that you usually don't find in the typical hotel or motel.

If you've always wanted a bird's eye view of the Great Smoky Mountains, ziplining is the way to go. Smoky Mountain Ziplines in Pigeon Forge has seven amazing lines that take you on a two-hour, jaw-dropping canopy tour.

In late November 2016, residents and friends of the Great Smoky Mountains could only watch helplessly as wildfires swept through Gatlinburg and threatened Pigeon Forge. In the end, 14 lives were lost, and many homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. In true mountain spirit, however, locals and volunteers immediately started working together to begin cleanup and rebuilding as soon as the fires were out and the evacuation order was lifted.

If you're planning a Tennessee getaway, a Smoky Mountain cabin is the perfect accommodation. Cabin rentals in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville are near all the best attractions and have everything you need to relax and enjoy your vacation. From cozy one-bedrooms to expansive chalets with enough room for the whole extended family, Smoky Mountain cabins come in every size. Because each cabin is different, you'll feel like you've got your very own mountain home.

No matter what time of year you visit, there's always something happening in the Great Smoky Mountains. Every season brings its own special highlights, whether it's skiing Ober Gatlinburg in winter, outdoor food and music festivals in the spring and summer, or taking in the vibrant colors in fall. To help you plan your 2017 vacation, here's a year's worth of things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Whether you prefer to sleep in a tent under the stars, snuggled up in a cozy cabin, or tucked in at a luxurious resort, the Great Smoky Mountains have plenty of lodging options to suit every taste. Deluxe resorts tempt visitors with personalized service, indoor-outdoor pools, and gourmet restaurants, while remote campsites offer a peaceful way to disappear from the grid for a few days. Looking for something in the middle? Smoky Mountain cabin rentals have all the solitude you need with the modern amenities and comforts you want.

The Smoky Mountains' fall colors are one of the greatest natural spectacles in North America. Every September and October, as deciduous trees shed their leaves, the Smokies come alive with vibrant red, yellow, orange, and purple.

One of the most thrilling experiences of a visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a wildlife sighting. The park is among the largest wildlife sanctuaries in the United States, and is home to 65 species of animals, including bears, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, raccoons, chipmunks, wild boars, woodchucks, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, opossums and more. A good field guide will help you determine the natural habitats of the animals you most want to see, and will help you identify animals and birds you've never seen before.

Fall colors in the Smokies are legendary. With more than 100 species of deciduous trees, the mountains put on quite a show as the green pigments in tree leaves change to a riot of colors. Watch for the brilliant yellows and oranges of alder, hickory, ash, maple, poplar, aspen, birch, black cherry, sycamore, cottonwood and sassafras, while reds, purples, and oranges burst from maple, oak, sweetgum, dogwood, cherry and persimmon trees. It's nature's version of a fireworks finale, and you won't want to miss it.

If you're visiting Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge or Sevierville, there's nothing like renting a Smoky Mountain cabin to make your vacation complete. Hotel rooms can be nice, but they can also be small, expensive, boring, and can cramp your style. Here are our top 10 reasons why renting a Smoky Mountain cabin is better than checking into a hotel:

There's nothing more fun than getting a great deal on the things you like to do most. Many vacationers search for all-inclusive deals at Smoky Mountain resorts and find there aren't any. But never fear! Several Smoky Mountain luxury and golf resorts offer package vacation deals. While not all-inclusive, they do feature lodging and activities that can enhance your fun and save you a lot of money.

A cabin in the mountains. That stack of magazines you've been meaning to read. A fridge full of your favorite snacks. Bird songs. Sunsets. Quiet. If you're planning a weekend getaway or a summer vacation, it's likely those wonderful things are on your list of must-haves. If you're looking into Smoky Mountain cabin rentals, you can add a lot more, too!

Whether you're craving a quick road trip or a full week off, the point of a vacation is to leave stress and aggravation behind. However, many people unintentionally drag these along with them on their trip. What fun is that? In order to ensure a truly relaxing Smoky Mountain vacation, there are four primary steps you'll want to take.

When it comes to choosing a place to stay in the Smokies, accommodations like hotels, motels, condos and cabins are usually the first options to pop into mind. However, when was the last time you considered staying in a bed and breakfast inn? They offer many advantages such as homey, comfortable bedrooms, expertly prepared morning meals, scenic and isolated settings, and a personalized level of service that you often won't find in more commercial ventures.

For many people, autumn is a favorite time of year. The air is crisp and pure, and even though most of the leaves have fallen for the season, there are still plenty of reasons to head outdoors for some fun and physical activity. Here are a few suggestions to consider when making travel plans to the Smokies this season.

Any time of year is a great time to visit the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, but there’s something about autumn that’s just a little special. Here are five things you must do if you visit the Smokies this fall:

A wedding is a special life event. Sure, you could get married in your hometown, but don’t rule out a Smoky Mountain destination wedding. Think about it. You could get married in the Smokies, honeymoon in the Smokies, and all of your family and friends could come along for the trip and have fun too. Although for the sake of privacy, you might want to consider honeymoon accommodations that are separate from everyone else’s.

It’s kind of interesting that for a couple of weeks every summer, one of the biggest Gatlinburg attractions isn’t a ride, a show or a museum. For a couple of weeks in early to mid-June, the biggest attraction is the appearance of the synchronous fireflies in the Elkmont area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

While staying in one of our Gatlinburg chalets will give you handy access to a ton of Smoky Mountain fun and exploration, don’t forget that there are some other great destinations nearby that you can work in as a quick daytrip. One of the most popular is the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, just a short hop from Gatlinburg via Interstate 40.

You should consider it a crime if you visit the Great Smoky Mountains this spring or summer and don’t actually go into the Great Smoky Mountains. You’d be surprised how many folks see the sights in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge or Sevierville but don’t go anywhere near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Don’t let yourself and your family become one of “those people.”

If you’re heading to the mountains on vacation this spring or summer, remember that there are a lot of cabins in Tennessee from which to choose. Price and location should always be factors, of course, but there are also several questions that you might want to ask the property management company or owner before signing on the dotted line. This week, we’ll look at issues pertaining to the immediate environment surrounding your cabin.

Fortunately, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is open all year, but for those who plan to visit in winter, you might need to keep a few things in mind, whether you’re planning to hit the hiking trails, camp or just do some general sightseeing.

Most folks who head into Great Smoky Mountains National Park more or less create their own experience, whether it's choosing their favorite hiking trail or campground or just taking a scenic drive through the more scenic roads and motor tours.

If you’ve ever been to Great Smoky Mountains National Park before, chances are you’ve visited, or at least heard of, Cades Cove, a preserved 19th century community that thrived in the mountains prior to the formation of the national park. Today, an 11-mile loop road takes visitors through this idyllic, storybook landscape, which is filled with mountain views, serene valleys, hiking trails and historic structures. Indeed, there’s something for everyone.

Most visitors who head to the Great Smoky Mountains tend to gravitate toward one of Sevier County’s main three cities—Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. But there’s another great place to focus on when you’re in the Smokies, and if you’re not familiar with it already, here’s a quick primer.

It’s one of the most visited sites in the nation’s most visited national park. Cades Cove embodies all the best that Great Smoky Mountains National Park has to offer in terms of beauty and historical value. A journey down the 11-mile, one-way road that loops its way around the cove should be added to your list of things to do when visiting the Smokies.

When you’re planning any vacation, it sometimes seems like a daunting task because there are so many unanswered questions. Where will we stay? What will we do? How do we get there? How much will things cost? And that’s just scratching the surface. Wouldn’t it be simple if you could get all the information you need about traveling to the Great Smoky Mountains in one handy resource?

The cheerful sound of the birds singing in the trees. The peacefulness of a flowing stream. The breathtaking sights of the mountains and the wildlife that makes their home there. Do you find enjoyment in the sights and sounds of nature? If so, camping in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is something you have to try. With over 1,000 developed campsites as well as numerous primitive sites along the mountains trails, you're bound to find one that pleases you. Just take a look at what they have to offer.

Discovering one of the most scenic drives and breathtaking views of the Great Smoky Mountains would be to make your plans to visit Wears Valley. Located just off traffic light #3 in Pigeon Forge, it is also called route 321, for travelers coming in from Townsend, Tennessee. The beautiful valley was named after Colonel Samuel Wear, who moved to the area in the late 1700's. Not only will you desire to see all the scenery and sights, but also you will want to stay in one of the many beautiful mountain rental cabins secluded in the valley. For some of the best cabins, checkout Volunteer Cabin Rentals or Hidden Mountain Resorts. Both have many cabins with lots of amenities for an enjoyable stay.

There's nothing more fun when the weather heats up than to spend the day playing in the water. Everyone - from toddlers to seniors - enjoy cooling off as they splash around, and the Smoky Mountains have plenty of opportunities for you to do just that. There are water parks to visit as well as rivers to tube. If you're the more adventurous type, canoes, kayaks and rafts are there to whoosh you through rapids of many different levels. Just look at all that awaits you!

Part of the fun of traveling is experiencing local cuisine. It's amazing to discover how dishes have an entirely different flavor from region to region. Your curious side won't be disappointed when you visit some of the creative restaurants found in the Smoky Mountains.

One of the most historical train rides with some of the best scenic views in the United States is a short 90 minute drive from Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad owns and operates the line from Dillsboro to Andrews in North Carolina.

As the chilly winter wind sweeps across your face the holidays tickle your senses, calling you to join in all the upcoming fun. Hot chocolate with marshmallows, warm, toasty fires, gatherings with friends and family, and more are just around the corner. Memories of lights and decorations as well as feasts and gift giving fill your thoughts and you become anxious for all a traditional holiday season has to offer. The Smoky Mountains deliver four months of unforgettable, fun-filled sights and events for you and your family to enjoy (starting right now!) in one of its most popular festivals: Winterfest.

If you're an animal lover then the Smoky Mountains is the place for you. Sure might expect to find bears, elk and owls that live in the wilderness, but did you know you'll also find prehistoric dinosaurs? And animals from the rainforest. Bet you can't imagine sea creatures in the mountains! It's true. You'll find all of these fascinating creatures and many more when you visit the Smokies.